


Gratitude

by kupfermaske



Series: The Nibellian & Niwenian Compendium of Feel Good Tales [2]
Category: Ori and the Blind Forest
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Moonlight, One Shot, Picnics, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:54:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24303226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kupfermaske/pseuds/kupfermaske
Summary: The tags say it all.
Relationships: Gumo/Naru
Series: The Nibellian & Niwenian Compendium of Feel Good Tales [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1682206
Comments: 8
Kudos: 15





	Gratitude

**Author's Note:**

> low effort fic cheeeeck
> 
> also yes I ship these twooooooo

_“Have they been put to bed?”_ Gumo whispers.

“Yup. Sleeping soundly.”

“Then can you come with me? I’d like to show you something before we go to sleep as well.”

Naru is suspicious, but she takes Gumo’s hand with a wry smile. The Gumon returns it with one of his own and leads her out of the cave.

The trip is short and pleasantly quiet. The starry night air is cool as rain-moistened grass shuffle beneath their feet. They see the Spirit Tree in the distance in its ethereal nightly beauty, crowned in an aura of wispy blue light as it keeps Nibel alive. They pass by fireflies that lazily drift about, dimming, lighting, and dimming again as frogs croak nearby, the telltale sign that they’re near.

Then Naru sees it. A feeling of warmth swells in her heart as they go across the boardwalk, towards the end where a picnic cloth has been spread and a conspicuous basket has been placed on top. There are no candles. The reflection of moonlight in the flower-speckled lake is bright and beautiful enough.

“Gumo … ” Naru murmurs, unable to keep herself from smiling. “What … what’s the special occasion?”

“Do I need one to want to make you feel special?” Gumo lightly asks before kissing the top of her hand. “But I’d also like to thank you for your hard work. And maybe get you away from the kids. Just for a while.”

Naru giggles at that, whole-heartedly agreeing with him. She loved Ori and Ku, but a bit of time for herself -- themselves -- sounded really nice, too.

“Come, sit with me.”

And sit they do, dangling their feet off the edge. They are separated only by the basket, which connects them.

“Just before we begin … ” announces Gumo. He then opens the straw lid. 

He takes out a flower crown and places it atop Naru’s head, who looks away as a fierce blush spreads across her cheeks. It certainly isn’t fair as to how Gumo can hide his blush whilst Naru couldn’t, but this inequality is something the Gumon adores. The flowers -- baby blue daisies and fragrant, purple lavender -- even seem to highlight the redness of the mother’s face. It is a sight he will be sure to remember.

“I also dipped them in a special kind of oil,” Gumo adds. “They’ll last longer. For about … maybe two weeks.”

“Oh, Gumo … you really thought about this, didn’t you?”

“A little. This is also revenge for making me all bashful that last time.”

“Revenge?” Naru smirks, finally turning to face him.

Gumo grins back. “The best kind. Served cold.”

Indeed, the krasppinberry jam tarts were nicely cool, which was the best temperature to eat them. The Gumon’s cooking was definitely no match for Naru’s. But baking? 

Still not on par. Better, though.

Then, cups of fermented gigglebean juice are served. Gumo simply reaches into the water and pulls out a cooled bottle of said alcohol to Naru’s pleasant surprise. It wasn’t too strong of a drink, though a full bottle would provide a nice buzz at most. Ku had tried a droplet (yes, a droplet) of it once, sputtered in disgust, then fell asleep five minutes later.

And after everything has been eaten and drunk, Naru now lies on her back, resting her flower-crowned head atop Gumo’s leg. They say nothing for a while, yet they feel comfortable doing so. Being together was enough. Words would feel awkward; feel forced. This was fine.

Then they burp together.

“Ew.”

“Why, thank you. Ew to you, too.”

They dumbly giggle at that, the laughing made easier from the drink. And it’s unclear where it comes from, but Gumo has an idea.

“Do tell,” Naru smiles, sitting up and readjusting her crown.

So he makes Naru stand. Then he stands. Gumo crouches to a lower height and takes one of Naru’s hands. With his other hand, he wraps it around Naru’s waist. Naru uses her other hand to place it on Gumo’s shoulder. It’s an oddly welcome pose they share.

“Can you sing as we dance?” Gumo smiles.

Naru chuckles. “It would be awkward without music, yeah.”

So she begins to sing.

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


_Moon … river … wider than a mile …_

They begin to sway with the slow melody, getting a sense of the rhythm. 

_I’m crossing you in style … someday …_

They then start to step around; carefully at first so as not to fall off. 

_Oh, dream … maker … you heart … breaker …_

But this worry soon fades as their confidence in each other’s movements grow. 

_Wherever you’re going … I’m going … your way …_

They trust each other not to go too far, nor too little. To pull; to push; if need be.

_Two … drifters … off … to see the world …_

Naru leans in and lightly rests her head against Gumo’s round cheek, for lack of a chest; but not lacking a heart.

_There’s such … a lot of world … to see …_

Gumo sighs and squeezes Naru’s hand a little tighter. He is so, so thankful.

_We’re after … the same … rainbow’s end …_

They accepted him. Took him in. Gave him life; a family when he lost his. Forgave him.

_Waitin’ ‘round the bend …_

Naru is thankful, too. Had it not been for Gumo, she wouldn’t have been alive tonight.

_My huckleberry friend …_

Come to think of it, neither of them would be alive, had it not been for each other.

_Moon … river …_

So they would dedicate their lives for each other. Make their lives better, the best it can ever be.

_… and me …_

Forever and always. As long as they may live, in gratefulness and love.

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


They open their eyes and see that they’ve waltzed all the way back to the soil. It takes a minute for them to process this. They had never done this before; never practised. Yet they did it.

They chuckle to themselves, two partners under the bright, full moon by the silvery lake. They lean in and press their foreheads together, and Naru’s crown is nudged a little to make space. Nothing separates them.

“I love you, Naru.”

“Love you, Gumo.”

“Want to do this again sometime?”

“If I get to lead it and embarrass you again. But in private.”

“Nar -- !”

But Gumo silenced as Naru steps on her tiptoes and presses a chaste kiss on the Gumon’s cheek.

“Or you know, we can do that right now,” Naru cheekily grins as Gumo buries his warm face in her shoulder.

“Worst. You’re the worst, you know that?” comes a muffled, joking voice.

“Only in the best way, my dear,” Naru smirks, making sure that Gumo hears she smirks. He does.

“Can we go home now so I can bury my face in a pillow?” Gumo then asks.

“I was just going to ask the same.”

And go home they do, feeling lighter and happier in each other’s arms, ready to live another bright day with hearts even brighter.

They can get the basket tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> Needed to write something nEW.
> 
> Also this is how I imagine Naru's singing voice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEdPe1SxitI


End file.
